1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus, and particularly to a construction for the control of the remain of a recording agent such as ink or toner used for recording or recording mediums such as recording sheets (these will hereinafter be generically referred to as the recording material).
2. Related Background Art
Recording apparatuses heretofore well known include, for example, recording apparatuses of the so-called serial type having a carrier carrying a recording head thereon and reciprocally movable in directions perpendicular to the direction of conveyance of a recording medium (hereinafter also referred to as the paper) such as paper or a sheet for OHP suitable for the projection by an overhead projector and excellent in transmitting property, and recording apparatuses of the full line type having a recording head of a length corresponding to the width of recording paper. In these recording apparatuses, use is made of recording heads using various recording systems, among which are generally widely known the wire dot system, the thermosensitive system, the heat transfer system, the ink jet system, the electrophotographic system, etc.
The recording agents used differ depending on these recording systems, and for example, ink is used as the recording agent in the ink jet system, toner is used as the recording agent in the electrophotographic system, and ink applied to an ink ribbon is used as the recording agent in the heat transfer system.
The amounts of the respective recording agents provided in the recording apparatuses are governed by members for holding these recording agents. For example, in the ink jet system, ink is held in an ink tank, but in the ink cartridge type comprising a recording head and an ink tank made integral with each other which has recently been spreading (hereinafter referred to as the head cartridge), the initial state thereof, namely, the amount held by the cartridge in its new state, is the amount of ink provided. The amount of ink held by the cartridge in its new state is substantially constant and the amount capable of recording is also substantially predetermined (hereinafter this amount will be represented as HMAX), and when the recording amount substantially reaches such a predetermined amount capable of recording, the replenishment of the recording agent such as ink becomes necessary. In this case, in the above-described head cartridge, the operation of exchanging it for a new head cartridge (hereinafter referred to as the new cartridge) becomes necessary.
As informing means for informing a user of the replenishment period for the recording agent such as ink or the exchange period for the new cartridge and the current remain capable of recording (hereinafter referred to as the remain), many means are known such as means for continuously counting the used amount or the remain and indicating a message or the like on an indicating device on the basis of the counted value, means of providing a window or the like for confirmation to thereby enable the user to visually confirm, and indicator means corresponding to the remain of the ink or the like and variable with an increase or a decrease in the remain.
Also, many constructions for the detection of the remain of recording mediums are known in the art of copying apparatuses, printers, etc.
However, in the above-described example of the prior art wherein the control of the remain is effected with the used amount or the remain counted, when the counted value of the used amount or the remain stored in the recording apparatus body is changed, for example, by the exchange of the head cartridge, the informed substance is also changed simultaneously therewith. Therefore, for example, in a recording apparatus of a construction in which discrete head cartridges are used for monochrome recording and for color recording and recording is effected with the respective head cartridges exchanged and mounted in the recording apparatus, when in case of the exchange of the head cartridge, the head cartridge is erroneously exchanged for a new cartridge for color instead of a new cartridge for monochrome, the counted value of the used amount or the remain in the head cartridge for color recording is changed and simultaneously therewith, the informed substance is also changed. This has led to the problem that even if the user becomes aware of the error after the exchange, the information on the head cartridge for color recording so far used has all been changed and therefore the correct counted value of the used amount or the remain regarding that head cartridge disappears and it becomes impossible to grasp it.